Beick winteb



(No Model.)

T. M. RINEHART. ROTARY ENGINE.

No. 280,766. Patented July 3, 1883.

. me v1 UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS M. RINEHART, OF PITTSBURG, PA., ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, FRED- ERICK VINTER, AND ADAM GOODWIN, OF SAME PLACE. i

. ROTARY ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 280,766, dated July 3, 188,3. y Application filed March 31, 1883. (No model.) l

\ of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Rotary Engines; and I do hereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to an improvement in rotary engines in which v a reciprocating is changed to a rotary movement by means'ofarevolving cylinder suitably journaled, provided with a piston having a reciprocating movement,in connection with devices for changing the reciprocating to a rotary movement, so as to cause the cylinder to revolve on its axis;

. and it consists in certain novel constructions and combinations of the devices, as will hereinafter more fully appear.- 1

I will now describe my invention, so that others skilled in the art may manufacture and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specication, in which- 1 Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved engine. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same, showing the piston at the end of its stroke. Fig. 3 is a like view, showing the piston at the middle of its stroke. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of one of the pillowblocks, showing the steam-ports.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts wherever they occur.

In the drawings, c represents the frame of the engine, which is planted on a suitable foundation.

At one end of the bed or'frame c are bolted or otherwise secured two pillow-blocks, b c. Journaled in these pillow-blocks, by means of the hollow necks d e, is the cylinder f, in which is the piston-head g, connected with the piston h, which extends through'the neck d on the cylinder -head into the tube or casing z', in which is a square groove or way, k. Secured on the piston h at this point is a square collar, Z, which fits and slides in the way 7c. The casing t', which is attached to the cylinder-head,

. is supported by and journaled in a third support or pillow-block, m, and is securely bolted or otherwise attached to the end of the neck d, so that the cylinder f shall revolve with the casing. From thecollar Z the piston-rod or shaft k extends through the casing c' into a stationary cylinder, n, which is bolted to the frame or bed c. At this end of the piston, secured thereto, is a block or collar, o, from which extends a pimp, which fits and travels in a groove, q, in the inside face of the cylinder.

This groove q extends, commencing from the. bottom of the cylinder u, at one end of the same, diagonally upward to the top of the cylinder at the other end of the same, and thence diagonally downward to the place of beginning, being ellipsoidal in form, its purpose being to impart a rotary movement to the reciprocating piston or shaft h. The pin p, follow- .ing the groove q, gives half a rotation to the piston in its forward stroke, and completes the rotation on its backward or return stroke.

In the pillow-blocks I) and c are steamways r and s, which open into a valve-chamber, t, in each of the two pillow-blocks b and c. These chambers t are next to and are closed by the outer circumference of the hollow necks d and e, which open into the cylinder f and extend around the same about the 'distance of one- 75 fourth of the circumference.- In the pillowblocks, on the opposite side from the chambers t, are similar chambers, u, which are for the exhaust-steam from the cylinder and discharge into the exhaust-ways o. Opening through the necks d and c are steam-ports x and y, through which the live steam and the exhauststeam alternately pass, the two ports being on opposite sides-that is, when the port x is at at one side or toward the bottom of the engine, receiving steam from the chamber tin the pillow-block b, the steam-port lyis at the other side or toward the top of the engine, discharging exhaust-steam into the exhaust-chamber u in the pillow-block c. Leading from theboiler are steam-pipes z, which carry steam to the steamways r and s.

. Secured to the end of the neck c is a bandwheel, z, which is connected by a band, y', with the band-wheel x, which in turn operates the governor '11', which is connected with a valve in the steam-supply pipe, in the usual manner.

On the outer face of the rotating cylinder f is cast or otherwise secured or formed the fly-wheel w, and around the casingl t' is 4the band-wheel 102.

' The operation is as follows: The different IOO part-s being in the position shown in Fie. 2, live steam from the boiler', passing throughthe pipe e, enters the stcamway a' in the pillow block b, and thence passes into the chambert and through the port n; into the hollow neck d, which opens into the cylinder f and drives the pistonhead f/ to the otherend oi' the cylinder, the exhaust-steam on the other side oit the piston-head at the saine time, passing into the chamber a through the port y, escapes through the steaniway c in the pillow-bloclr c. At the commencement ofthe stroke of the piston-head the pin p, on the collar o in the stationary cylinder n at the other end of the piston or shaft 71, :is at the top and rear end' ot' the cylinder a; but as the shai't moves forward the pin, in ovin in and being guided by the ellipsoidal groove g,

causes the shaft or piston and the cylinder-f to revolve on their axes, giving them, by means of the forward motion, a haltrevolution, which revolution is completed by the return-stroke. This return-stroke is caused by the live steam entering the cylinder through the steamway 8 and chamber t in the pillow-block c and port y in the hollow neck c, while the exhaust-steam escapes through the chamber n and way o in the pillow-block b. As the shaft or piston 71 revolves on its axis the square or angular collar Z in the tube or casing fi, being nn.- able to turn in the way 7i', causes the casing i', to revolve on its axis, it being journaled in the pillow-block or support mi, as already described, andthe casing 17 being bolted or otherwise iirmly secured to the neck. d ot' the cylinderf, the cylinder f revolves on its axis, it

being iournaled in the pillow-blocks b and C,

thereby causing the steam-chambers t and the ports it and y to operate as an automatic valve l'or the supply of steam to the cylinder, and the chambers it and ports m and y to act as an Y automatic valve for the discharge ot' the exhaust-steam, and thereby the drive-wheel. nf2 is caused to revolve, and the power of the engine is applied.

My invention as herein described may be modified, so as to adapt the engine to the use ofthe general form ot' sliding or puppet valves, by arranging the parts so that the cylinder a shall be caused to revolve while thc cylinder f and casing remain stationary, and the piston 7L has but a direct reciprocating movenient.

The advantages of my improvement are- First. The unequal wearing away ofthe bot tom ofthe inside surl'ace of the cylinder :is entirely prevented. lt is a well-known l'act that in recilnfooating engines, where the cylinder is in a horizontal position, the movement and weight of the piston-head will gradually wear away the bottom of thejnside ol'the cylinder. lt is obvious that on account of the revolution of the cylinder this unequal wearing is prevented by my im] novement, as all portions of the inside surface of the cylinder are equally subjected to the weight and wear caused thereby, and this wearing-surface being greatly increased, all portions of the surface being subject thereto, the rapidity of the wear is correspondingly diminished.

Second. The turning-points at the ends ot' the ellipsoidal groove q being at an acute angle, the groove not being in the form of a true ellipse, there is but an inapprecia-blc deadpoint at the end of the strokes of the piston, and the piston acts with equal i'orce from the beginning tothe end of its stroke, thereby saving a great amount of power which. is lost in other iorms oli' reciprocating engines.

Third. While my improved engine retains and increases the power of the positive force of a reciprocating engine, it has also thc advantages of a rotating engine, being evenly balanced, and, on account oi' the revolution o1' ythe d iii'crent parts, the loss ol' power by weight and friction is greatly diminished.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim, and desire to secure by Letters liatent, is-

l. ln a rotary engine, a revolving cylinder suitably journaled and provided with a piston having a reciprocating movement, in combination with a fixed cylinder having an ellipsoidal groove for the reception ol a pin on the piston-rod for converting the recilnocating motion oij the piston into rotary motion, and devices, substantially as described, i'or communicating the rotary motion to the cylinder, substantially as and i'or the purposes specitied.

2. The combination oi' the revolving cylinder f, provided with a piston. and piston-rod having a square collar and a pin, j), casing i", having a square groove or way, and stationary cylinder u, having an ellipsoidalv groove i'or the pin of the piston-rod, substantiallwy as and i'or the purposes speciiied.

ln testimony whereoi' I have hereunto set my hand this QSth day ol' March, A. l). 11.853.

THOMAS M. RINEHART. `Wi ti 1 esscs:

\\f". i3. ConwIN, .lines K. Britiiwnim.

IOO 

